EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Scribbles in my Browns notebook after the 24-13 loss to the New York Jets.

1. The Browns' running game is so bad that a guy who gains 64 yards and averages 3.8 per carry looks good. The guy in question is Edwin Baker, who scored the Browns' fourth rushing touchdown of the season.

2. Then again, Baker's 64 yards (in 17 carries) were the second most by a running back this season. Willis McGahee had 72 in the victory over Buffalo.

3. Baker was facing a defense ranked No. 3 against the run. His longest gain was nine yards, so it's not as if he had 50 on one run. He consistently ran through tight spaces … and sometimes, where it seemed there was no room.

4. Baker is the sixth back used this season. For those counting, the others are Trent Richardson (now with the Colts), Bobby Rainey (now with Tampa Bay), Fozzy Whittaker, McGahee and Chris Ogbonnaya. McGahee is the leading rusher with a dismal 377 yards. Even in the expansion year of 1999, the Browns dragged 452 yards out of Terry Kirby.

5. McGahee (averaging 2.7 per carry) didn't have a carry but has he wants to play for four more years. And I want to win the Nobel Prize for literature for my halftime scribbles.

6. We all know the Browns need a quarterback. I still favor keeping both Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell as veterans -- so that a rookie would not have to play immediately. It also gives depth to the position. The more Campbell plays, the more you can see why he is a backup. He is 1-6 as a starter. He has thrown 10 touchdowns with six interceptions and a 79.6 rating.

7. But it would help all Browns QBs in 2014 if the franchise can find even an average NFL back. If McGahee finishes with those 377 yards to lead the team, it will be the lowest total in franchise history -- before or after expansion. The Browns have only four rushing touchdowns this season -- two each from McGahee and Baker.

8. My point is the running game must be addressed in the off-season. I know, it's a pass-happy league. But the running game can't be an embarrassment. Perhaps Baker can be part of that. The same with Ogbonnaya. But they need to find a real running back, too.

9. Not only was Campbell sacked three times, he was knocked down on seven other attempts. The Browns alternated Jason Pinkston and Garrett Gilkey at left guard, perhaps trying to see if Gilkey (a seventh-round draft choice) has some promise.

10. Filling in for Davone Bess (done for the year because of personal issues), Josh Cooper had four catches and a few were what you'd expect from Bess. Cooper was playing his first game of the year at slot receiver, and had some nice moments.

11. There were times when the Browns were forcing the ball to Gordon. They threw 16 passes to him. He caught six. He had one drop (a big one in the end zone). He was covered tightly on several of the throws.

12. So glad they gave the ball to Gordon on a reverse -- 22 yards. He has five carries for 88 yards this season.

13. Jordan Poyer has punt returns of 10 and 29 yards. He has some talent.

14. One of the most amazing (and discouraging) stats: The Browns ran 20 plays in the red zone, and scored one touchdown (and two field goals).

15. D'Qwell Jackson: "This is not on the coaches. It's on us." He was talking about the failure of the defense, but the same was true of the offense.

16. I give Joe Haden credit for playing with a hip pointer. You'd think guys would play, but in a losing season it's easy to say "Hey, I'm beat up -- I can't go."

17. An NFL executive told me that one of the things he noticed when he switched from a winning to a losing franchise was how late in the year, some veterans would sit out games with somewhat minor injuries. They would have where played if a playoff bid was a possibility.

18. Barkevious Mingo had a couple of good plays -- an 11-yard tackle for a loss, and he batted down a pass. But Mingo and the rest of the defense failed to sack rookie Geno Smith. In fact, the defense failed to register a single quarterback hit. Remember, Campbell was sacked three times, hit seven more times. So this was awful for the defense.

19. You can tell the coaching staff is frustrated with Greg Little, who dropped a potential TD pass. He had only a single catch for four yards. He was taken out of the game a few times for Brian Tyms, who was claimed off Miami's practice squad and caught his first NFL pass.

20. Next week's final game is in Pittsburgh, and once again it's another season that can't end fast enough for Browns fans.

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